


Happy Now?

by MCUsic_to_my_ears



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: BDSM, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Angst, Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Confused Steve Rogers, Confusion, D/s relationship, Dissociation, Dom Tony Stark, Dom/sub, M/M, No Sex, Panic Attacks, Protective Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Sub Bruce Banner, Subspace, Tony Stark Has A Heart, he's just confused, very light bdsm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 08:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10941126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCUsic_to_my_ears/pseuds/MCUsic_to_my_ears
Summary: After a rough battle, Tony pulls Bruce aside when the latter appears to be having a panic attack. Steve walks in on Tony attempting to bring Bruce down into subspace to calm him down and breaks their equilibrium considerably.





	Happy Now?

**Author's Note:**

> Quick reminder that although Tony and Bruce are in a dom/sub relationship, this story contains no sex.

The mission blew. They said that a lot, but this one literally blew. Like, half of a city was gone somewhere in Guatemala as a result of nearly twenty-four hours of non-stop fighting and transport and screams and blood. But the death count of civilians had gained what felt like countless more names and Tony could see that weight in Bruce’s eyes and the way he held himself and how controlled his breathing was. After a minute of them all sitting in the living room, thoughts swirling around then, Tony hauled Bruce up to his feet and led him into the hallway. The doctor was swaying into a panic, and Tony helped him down onto the floor, leaning Bruce against the wall.

Tony ran a hand through his hair, thinking for a moment, running through situations, ways to proceed. He and Bruce had only been dating for less than a month and they certainly weren’t out to anyone on the team. Only Tony’s publicist and Pepper knew about their relationship, and no one knew that Tony was Bruce’s Dom. It was the only way Bruce felt safe enough to have sex and Tony was quite into sex with Bruce.

But he knew that the best way to keep Bruce out of having a panic attack was at least trying to get him into a peace even within a couple miles of subspace.

“Hey there Brucie,” Tony said softly, trying to infuse his voice with quiet dominance. A distressed noise escaped through Bruce’s throat, causing the engineer to pull Bruce’s wrists together when his hands flailed and he started to claw at his back to try and ground himself. “Hey, none of that. We’re safe here, okay? We’re safe.” Tony moved so that he now held both of Bruce’s wrists together in one hand, behind the doctor’s back. His breathing was starting to even out, but Tony knew it wouldn’t be enough.

“Give me a color so I can gauge where we’re at, okay?”

Bruce struggled against him, pushing back against the wall, trying to get away. His mouth was pressed shut, hard, and he wasn’t breathing in.

Tony lowered his voice again, dropping further into his position as a dominant. “Color?” he said roughly, tightening his grip on Bruce until the physicist was forced to take a gulp of air. Tears were in his eyes, but he bit out, “Yellow.” He was rocking himself, one of Bruce’s most used self-soothing techniques. Tony allowed it for a moment, calculating his next move. He rested his other hand on Bruce’s thigh, rubbing his thumb up and down. “Thank you,” he murmured. Bruce took a shuddering breath, sinking back against the wall. Tony slid his fingers around until he could feel Bruce’s pulse point. He had just started counting the beats, his thumb still running up and down Bruce’s leg, when a hand pulled him away from his sub.

He heard Bruce’s breath pick up in the back of his mind, but without even thinking he pushed whoever had touched him back. “What the fuck are you doing?” Tony growled, positioning himself in between the intruder and Bruce.

“What am _I_ doing? What are you doing Tony?” Steve asked, trying to get over to where Bruce had huddled against the wall. He had started rocking again, but this time more violently, crashing his back and head against the wall repeatedly. His hands had come up to clutch each other next to his neck.

“Steve, I’m trying to keep Bruce from freaking the fuck out and you’re not helping. Get the fuck out of here before you wake it worse.”

“Make it worse?!” Steve sputtered. “You’re- you’re the one _touching_ him like that and- and-”

“Do you honestly think that I would come onto to him while he’s having a _panic attack_!” Tony shouted, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He heard a whimper from behind him, and Tony whipped around, dropping to his knees. Bruce had tears in his eyes and his breaths were coming in pants. His hands were clawing at his arms, his back, his throat.

When Tony attempted to take Bruce’s hands away from his body, the doctor flinched away violently, hitting his head against the wall. Tony pushed himself back a couple of inches, ignoring Steve sharp look that he could feel bearing down on him.

“Okay,” Tony breathed. He took a moment to collect himself and to run through possible ends to the situation, before he repeated, “Okay. Hey, Bruce. I know were not doing the touching thing right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m leaving, got it?”

Bruce didn’t respond, but that didn’t mean anything to Tony. Words were so often lies and without meaning, especially when it came to Bruce, that he only allowed the doctor’s body language affect his decision making.

“We’re just going to ride this one out, okay? All I need from you is to keep breathing.” He let his words settle for a moment, and Steve yanked his shoulders back, “Leave him alone, Stark!”

“Steve please for the love of _God_ get out of here!” he seethed, trying to get his voice down. He turned his attention back to his boyfriend, who was pressing further into the wall at the harsh words. “You don’t need to change anything you’re doing just yet, Bruce,” Tony soothed, “We’re in this together, I just need to see you breathing, got it?”

Again, Bruce didn’t answer, but Tony could see the ways his sub’s hands slowef minutely. Steve sat down next to Tony, finally shutting up. He watched Bruce carefully, although his eyes glanced at Tony every once in awhile.

“That’s it, bud, that’s better. We’re good. Just keep listening to me. I’ve got you.” Tony attempted to move forward, narrating his every movement, but Bruce still pulled away, his arms huddling around his neck. But they had stopped scratching at his skin. “You’re doing great, hun. I’m so proud of you, let’s breathe a little better, okay?”

Bruce nodded slightly and Tony felt the tension melt out of him. “Awesome, Bruce. That’s awesome. I’m going to grab your hands, that okay?”

Bruce shook his head.

“That’s fine. We’re good, dear, we’re safe. I need you to breathe with me now, so that we can keep calming down, okay?” Bruce nodded.

“Thank you, hun. Show me when you’re ready.”

Steve made a weird noise beside him, but Tony ignored him. He started counting breaths out for Bruce, letting the numbers wash over the scientist until Bruce’s hands loosen from around his neck and his tears came to an end. His hands reached out for Tony in an almost dream like state. Tony really wished Bruce wasn’t dissociating like this, it indicated the intensity of his panic.

But Tony pulled Bruce’s hand and settled it just below the arc reactor, letting Bruce feels his breathing, hoping the physicist would mimic him.

He knew it’s a bad idea to try and get Bruce into subspace anymore, and that he didn’t want Bruce to experience the drop that came after. All he did was slowly draw Bruce toward him and bring himself back to the wall. He settled Bruce until his sub is calmly snoozing, his head in Tony’s lap. Tony rubbed his back until the doctor fell asleep, and Tony finally allowed himself to breathe. He let his head rest against the wall "You happy?" he asked in a quiet voice, not wanting to wake Bruce up. He looked up from his sub, and at Steve tiredly.

"I’m. I'm sorry." Steve finally said, after watching the two of them for a moment.

He stood up and started to leave, but Tony offered, "Come up to the labs tomorrow, I'll explain it to you so that you don't mess it up next time." He ran a hand through Bruce’s hair, and his boyfriend sighed softly in his sleep.

Before Steve could say anything else though, Tony continued, "Now go take care if the rest of your team.”


End file.
